Much windier here. Stopped by after having lunch nearby. There's plenty of parking. Saw many…read morefamilies and people flying kites & a surfing. There are restrooms. Nice park to just enjoy the water & people watch.

Known as the 'Windsurfing Capital of the World', Hood River is a small city in Oregon, on the banks…read moreof the Columbia River. It is known for its concentration of craft breweries in the downtown area, and the ability to consume alcohol publicly on open sidewalks and parks. My wife, mother-in-law, and I drove intentionally to see the city during our visit to the Gorge, and stopped by the famous Park next to the River. It was drizzling and cold this day, so finding free street parking was easy. We found a place to sit, and admire the brave souls surfing. There is a small beach area, and children life jackets to share. And a nice grassy area with playground equipment.

A lush, beautiful state park located off I-84 near Rowena. After passing by more times than I can…read morecount, I decided to venture off the highway to check it out. Was so surprised and delighted by the incredible views of the basalt cliffs across the way, and of course, close up views of the magnificent Columbia River. There is an area under the trees with picnic tables, a perfect spot to gather for a meal after a nice walk or hike. Plenty of parking, great views, peaceful and serene - a gem.

We pulled off recently to check out Mayer. In our camper van, it was a lovely, quiet spot to enjoy…read morea stretch and a meal. It seemed to be more like a county park in feel, with plenty of parking, some picnic tables, and toilets. They had a recycle bin alongside the trash cans...loved to see that. Albeit a cold December day, we only saw a couple of cars come and go while we were there. From signage it appears to be a good windsurfing area at other times of the year, so I'm sure it gets much busier. Nice little stop-off along the gorge for a view, a stretch, or a picnic.

It is such a beautiful and scenic drive each and every time going through the Columbia River Gorge!…read moreIt's something I never tire of and there are so many things to go see both on the Oregon and Washington side of the Gorge. One of the most notable places to stop is Multnomah Falls. It's a highly popular place and it is certainly understandable as to why but it is best to go early. You may even need to look into getting a reservation in order to get a parking space as well... because yes... it is actually that popular all year round. There are so many cute little towns through the Gorge as well. Hood River is a favorite of ours and I believe it's a favorite for a lot of people but Cascade Locks is nice as well and the Washington side has cute towns as well. On the Oregon side is Interstate 84 but don't explore this Interstate or route as a quick, brisk route to get east to west (or vice versa) as you cannot go typical Interstate speed through the Gorge. The curvature of the road and through this long stretch simply doesn't allow you to do that so it would be worth looking into alternate routes as possible if quickness is the only thing in mind otherwise you kind of just have to endure the reduced speeds. The Columbia River itself one doesn't have to repeat how beautiful it is but it's understandable if you do. River activities never fail to mesmerize. Like the group of people we once saw sailing down the river with boogie boards ( perhaps there's another name for it I'm not in the know with that) and the almost other worldly appearance of numerous fisherman on boats once fishing season was in full swig in the early morning. It's something one can never get tired of, The Columbia Gorge and I enjoy it each and every time I drive through it. It's breathtaking and truly one of essential drives to partake if visiting Oregon.

This area is an absolute must see if you are in the Portland area. It is really gorgeous. We drove…read moreto the visitor center and from there hiked up toward Multnomah Falls. It is a great way to get your steps in while surrounded by nature at its finest. There a number of waterfalls in this area and if you don't have time to get out and hike, there are some that can be seen from your car while driving by. We spent most of a day driving and hiking to the waterfalls using a map we got from the visitor center. It was raining during our visit, but we still got to see some beautiful scenery. There's a restaurant at Multnomah Falls Lodge in case you are looking for a place for lunch while in the area.

If you are a wind surfer or enjoy watching wind surfers, this is one of the best spots in the…read moreColumbia Gorge because you get the winds but not the crowds! The beach is rockybso be prepared. The views of the Columbia River and the Gorge are spectacular. Look across to the basalt cliffs of Washington and the Syncline. In addition to wind surfing, you can walk the gravel trail to Mosier Creek or along the railroad tracks. The park covers 20 acres. In the parking area there is a grassy area with few picnic tables, a covered gazebo and a porta john. This is a day use park, fee is $5 a day or an annual pass for $50. Pay at the kiosk so bring cash and a pen to fill out the form. Located in Mosier (exit 69 on I-84, look for signs for the Mosier Twin Tunnels. On the way you will see a gravel parking area with an iron gateway and a sign on top that says Rock Creek Access. It's next to the water facilities. If you reach the entrance for the Mosier Twin Tunnels you have gone too far.

Absolutely Beautiful! Even though it was windy , cold and wet. A must see if you ever visit…read moreWashougal, WA. I was just just looking at maps trying to find places to explore and was pleasantly surprised! Apparently you can swim in the lake and it's great for dogs!

Peaceful and beautiful spot on the river. A good family friendly spot. I plan on coming back here…read moreon a hot day to swim with the kiddos. Took my dog this time and let her off at the end of the beach which was pretty secluded. Some horses even showed up!

First, here is the important stuff: They have RV parking and…read moretent area (separate from RVs). If you're interested, RV spots have: Water, Electricity, Sewer We were here from Sunday to Tuesday, 8/2 to 8/4: This is a great place for people planning on parking their RVs and taking off during the day. It's not really a great place to stay and chill all day long. It's right next to the Hood River Bridge (although it's $2 to get across then another $2 to return). We were in site 6 and want to know what my view was? TRAFFIC, oh, and a beautiful gas station. I had to laugh. I picked this place because it was near a lot and it received pretty good reviews and honestly, the breweries were closed in Hood River due to COVID so technically could have bypassed this one. Speaking of COVID, the guy in the office nor the 2 customers inside wore masks. That did not make me happy. Please wear a mask! We do it for you, please do it for us. Basically, your campsite choices, if you have an RV, are traffic noise or train noise. Honestly, I would have preferred train noise. There was a spot open the entire time I was there and I asked if I could have it and was told no. Meh! I really didn't pay much since I received a discount with Good Sam membership. I paid under $40. so that's a plus. I guess I need to say the good because I have been cranky...blame it on the traffic noise. ;) - The place is clean. - You're supposed to have wifi access although I was never able to connect. - We had a decent size grass area with a picnic table. Considering the one next to us (#7?) didn't have any grass, this was a blessing. - We didn't have a dog but saw that they had a good size dog area. If you are tent camping they have a nice area that's under a bunch of trees. Granted, you are right next to the tent area. It looked so serene. Honestly, I told my husband that we should just bring our chairs and sleep there. Really, our site wasn't as noisy if we had our air conditioner on all night. ;) In the tent grass area there is a horseshoe pit. Yes, I played and wasn't that terrible. Just try and get deeper into the park and not on the street near the entrance. It will probably make a difference.

I and my extended family have stayed at this location when it was Bridge RV and after it became…read moreGorge Base Camp. Thr park itself is very clean, well maintained and in a great location for the surrounding area activities. I always knew the Camp Host was spicy but I got along with her until I needed to cancel this years stay due to a catastrophic break down of my pickup. I called to cancel the reservation 3 days before our arrival date. I knew there would be no refund nor did I expect or ask for one. I called so someone else could take the spot. The host began YELLING at me saying there were no refunds. She did say I could take different date and continued her rant when I couldn't come up with a date at that moment. long story short she told me I could call with a new date before my scheduled arrival date of September 6. Don't wait by the phone Shirlene! We will not be returning. I have never been spoken to in this manner before. If you are considering this location for a relaxing getaway, you might check Trip Advisor, Yelp and Google reviews regarding the host's hospitality

An incredibly gorgeous place to camp in the Cascades Mountains so close to Portland. Lots of…read morecrayfish in the lake to trap for delicious appetizers before dinner.

Super clean & clear lake. Perfect for an afternoon outing on the beach or paddling on the water…read more Pretty large with a 12 mile walking/biking path circling the entirety of the lake. Day use areas are scattered all along the shore of the lake, very accessible from path. The rocks in the water are smooth, so less chance of cutting your foot. $10 parking fee 10 mph speed limit on water -- no wake entire lake

This is a review of the flat water float from Dabney State Recreational Area to Lewis and Clark…read moreState Recreation area on the Lower Sandy River. I know this is not a normal category, but I personally felt a review of this trip would have helped me this last summer. From what I hear the top two most popular flat water floats in the outskirts of Portland are the Lower Clackamas and Lower Sandy Rivers. Originally my friends and I tried to float the lower Clack, but the parking lots where full and stuck in a traffic jam. So after about an hour of driving all over and not finding parking we decided to check out the Lower Sandy River section. This float was just as crowded but the parking lot area was so much larger what we found a spot. Now the first tip I will give out is to go early on a weekend day or go on a weekday and you will have better luck. The second tip I will give you is to park at the downhill park first if you shuttle two vehicles. If you want to combine these two tips, make a plan to spend the day with your friends and leave the first car parked early while you go out and enjoy some activities before the float. Though it is worth noting that you can occasionally find shuttle services these days. I have not used this yet, but will next summer. Once we got setup we found plenty of friendly people, if you bring your own pump be prepared for people asking to borrow it. The section of this river is amazing to check out. The beaches have pretty white sand and the water was not very cold in August at least. The water was slow going for the most part but there was a couple of sections where you will want to maneuver quickly and a few places where there is debris. Be sure to keep an open eye out for strainers and foot entrapment opportunities. The river passes through some forests, neighborhoods and has a cool view of a little bamboo garden that gave it a nice little zen vibe. Towards the end there is a rocky area that has some rapids. I made the mistake of tying off onto some friends inner tubes and was shot in between some boulders and rapids. I got lucky, but you will want be be prepared for that as I was not! Overall this was an amazing float that is sure to have you stoked and relaxed at the same time. Be sure not to litter in this area so this activity doesnt get shut down. For inner tube rentals check out the website below https://www.clackamasriveroutfitters.com/ For Shuttle information check out the website below. http://oregonriverrentals.com/products/clackamas-river-shuttle-pass/21 For the upstream park information check out the website below https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=110 For the downstream park information check out the website below. https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=116

Thee best lazy river float in oregon yet…read more.. You will not be let down... Locals... tourist... just all having fun... Residents up and down the river relaxing.. bbq and enjoying life... it makes you fall all in love with oregon again.. Enjoy

Relaxing. Very good view of mt hood. Picnic areas clean. Public restroom available. You can go on…read morefishing here.

Amazing scenic place Must visit place if you are in Oregon…read more Might be an hour drive from main place but it's worth it. Only few coffee shops on the way. But must visit for the scenic vi